[Stefan]

Spiral Butte/Cramer Mtn/Costanza (Peak 5880) Went out on Sunday with Martin and Greg down to White Pass. I try to make a climbing trip once a year to White Pass…and this was it. Due to recent snow dumpage I did want to keep the elevation minimal and out of avalanche potential and so I suggested Spiral Butte and Cramer Mtn if the snow allowed us to do so. We took off at a large pullout just west of the Dog Lake Campground where some boy scouts had dug snow caves overnight. Eventually we came across several snowshoe trails in the valley just NW from Dog Lake. Sometimes we followed them, sometimes they went in directions we did not want to go. The snow was mostly wet unconsolidated goop with a layer underneath that was not powder but had come down as the normal “cascade crud” that skiers do no like. Snowshoes were required for the entire trip. Weather was pretty darned good. No breeze with some very light high clouds above Mt. Rainier. At 4800 feet we did leave the tracks of the people…who we surmised were going to a lake and we headed up towards Spiral Butte. Ridgeline heading up to Spiral Butte had some interesting cornices on top of the ridge. The closed contour to the east is 4 feet higher than the closed contour to the west. We continued on to Cramer. Down in the valley between Cramer and Spiral the angle is low and everything looks the same – we constantly had to check the compass for bearings. To my amazement we summitted Cramer by 1:15 p.m. I had no idea we would be here this fast despite the snow conditions. I knew of another 400’ prominent peak to the west, but it was not in my original plans. So, while on top I said, “Let’s go get another one!”. So we did. The ridge traverse went fine to Costanza Peak (5880), and in fact we came across lone ski tracks on top. We did not linger too long and took the long haul out. The hardest part coming out was the long flat stretch just below 4400 feet next to the stream in that snow. The hips really were working it. Even though this trip was about 3400’ of gain, it felt like 4800 because of the snow conditions. About 10 miles. Stefan 3/4/2007

Spiral Cramer Costanza

[ActionBetty]

nice...the snow in that area can be vicious to break trail through...

[Type E]

I certainly know what you mean about the snow conditions making it feel longer.

[Stefan]

Now with pictures:

Sprial Butte White Pass 056

Sprial Butte White Pass 055

Sprial Butte White Pass 035

Sprial Butte White Pass 032

Sprial Butte White Pass 023

Sprial Butte White Pass 020